Compose a short writing gem and win.

Feeling defiant? Try writing something only 53 words long for Press 53′s new flash writing contest (this link will take you to the first contest, so you’ll need to check the blog for current contests.)

These writing prompts will be written by Meg Pokrass, who writes flash fiction and poetry. She gives amazing prompts by the way (one of my published flash fiction stories was inspired by her.)

Submission rules for the contest:

Write a 53-word microfiction or poem in which the word “sneaker” is used once and the word “blue” is used twice.

All submissions must be received by Thursday January 26, by 5 p.m. EST. The winner will be announced and published the next morning and will receive a free copy of Damn Sure Right by Meg Pokrass, which is her first published collection of flash fiction and is a quirky, fun read. It’s worth re-reading too. Email all submissions to Editor Rachel at rachel@press53.com.

You might also want to visit and bookmark the Submit Your Writing page for contests and submissions of short fiction, flash fiction, micro fiction, poetry, experimental writing and related.

Experimental Friday focuses on experimental writing projects, including digital writing, new media projects and other writing that goes beyond the book, and beyond the expected. Particularly projects based in the United States, but not exclusively.

-
Are you in New York City? Right now, you might notice something new hanging on the light poles as you’re making your way through the crowds or hailing a cab: colorful, artistic signs with haiku poems presenting a transportation-themed message. The dozen designs and 216 signs are part of a new campaign by The New York City Department of Transportation and were made by artist and poet John Morse who lives and works in both Atlanta and New York City.

Read the rest of this entry »

I won’t be publishing any new content this month since I’m attempting to write 50,000 words of a novel for NaNoWriMo, and that is sucking up all my time. I tried in 2009 and didn’t reach the goal. But this time I’ve already written 13,000 words and my personal goal is at least 30,000 so I’m hopeful.

I’ll still be posting #wordlove on the @WordZeal Twitter account and will be updating the Facebook page.

If you too are taking part in NaNoWriMo, here are two links worth checking out:

Read the rest of this entry »

Word Zeal has a new series called Experimental Friday, which will focus on experimental writing projects. Perhaps digital writing, new media projects and other writing that goes beyond the book.

–
Luminous Airplanes is a new novel and a web-based, hypertext literary project by Paul La Farge, an experimental writer living in New York.

If you’re wondering what hypertext means, the form is also known as hypermedia and is basically hyper-linked writing with multi-linear structures. Read the rest of this entry »

Words are such wonderful things to play with, don’t you agree?

I discovered a new word yesterday in darkle, which means to become dark. Here in Atlanta, where I live, this is a fitting word as the weather is rapidly cooling and the clouds are moving in with a fierceness.

Today (October 20) is the National Day on Writing, which is a day created by the National Council of Teachers of English. With that in mind, you’ll find lots of education-related events going on, but this is an occasion for all writers. So, let’s take a minute to celebrate writing.

Read the rest of this entry »

Here at Word Zeal, we like it short. Well, we like it long too, but we focus on shorter works that require a focus on words, including flash fiction and poetry.

If you’re a flash fan, or you’ve already tried writing hint fiction, this 78-word contest might interest you.

Sound fun to you? Read the rest of this entry »

The largest organized poetry event in history takes place on September 24, 2011 – 100 Thousand Poets for Change. This excites me because it demonstrates the power of words.

An article in Miami NewTimes calls the events “poetic activism,” which is exactly what they is. Each of the 700 events in 550 cities will promote serious social, environmental and political change. This inaugural grassroots event has used social media to promote good.

Read the rest of this entry »

September 21 is International Peace Day. Here are two things Word Zeal readers will appreciate: 1. Words matter. They can move people towards peace and can help writers find peace. 2. Writing is hard. Writers need peace in their lives to make it through all the difficulty.

Beauty queens have corrupted world peace. Those teary-eyed skinny minis in too-high heels cling to its power, while depriving so many young girls of acceptance about their own bodies and lives.

“If I could wish for anything … I would wish for world peace,” they say. And the judges melt, and the audience melts and everyone is a puddle of mushy gushy awe.

Read the rest of this entry »

I collect books, quotes, sentences, fragments, links and all other things with words. These are some short snippets that celebrate words and writing.

Read the rest of this entry »